Wills & Estates

If a party does not have a will, the Virginia General Assembly has decided how to divide his/her assets upon death. Unfortunately, without the proper planning, the law contains no simple solution for determining who the proper person is to manage your personal and financial affairs should you become incapacitates. Absent advanced planning by you, your family will face a long, expensive, and uncertain process in appointing that person for you.

Additionally, without proper estate planning, parties with minor children leave the future safety and security of their children to the court system for the determination of appropriate guardianship and support structures. Attorneys at Westlake Legal Group have significant experience in drafting estate plans, which include powers of attorney for health care, general powers of attorney, living wills, and wills, with or without testamentary trusts that address all of the above scenarios.

Sometimes however, a simple estate plans are insufficient to address the individual needs of our clients. For those clients with diverse estates, complex wishes regarding the distribution of their assets, or a wish to increase privacy and minimize the impact of probate upon their estates, the attorneys at Westlake Legal Group have significant experience in the drafting of revocable living trusts, irrevocable life insurance trusts, special needs trusts, and other estate planning vehicles utilized to not only save estate taxes but provide privacy and confidentiality in one’s personal financial affairs.

Finally, anyone who has been faced with the task of administering an estate either as a trustee, an administrator or an executor has discovered that the significant intricacies of this area of the law, coupled with the general volume of the task at hand, often times lead to confusion and the need for guidance. This fact can become amplified when the emotions of death and family dynamics embroil themselves and these situations.

At Westlake Legal Group, we stand ready to assist you with every aspect of estate administration from aiding you in qualifying as the executor or administrator of an estate to preparing inventories and aiding with the resolution of a loved one’s estate. We understand that during these trying times, the avalanche of information you are forced to digest can seem daunting. With our skills, knowledge and compassion, we will make this process as simple and quick as possible.

We aim to lead in each practice and area of law we work in. Coming from in-depth understanding of the law and the industry, capitalizing on extensive experience, we provide hands-on advice that speaks the language of our client’s business and/or legal issue.